Wild Beings Dorien Brouwers We are curious, strong, and fierce / We are creators, explorers, and seekers / We can climb, leap and run… We are WILD. This gloriously illustrated gift book for all ages is an ode to the kindred spirits of children and animals. With socio-emotional themes woven throughout, Wild Beings celebrates our universal and unbreakable bonds […] Animals, Bravery, Emotion/ Feelings, Empathy, Environment/Climate Change, Inspirational, Nature/ Outdoors, Picture Books Never Teach a Stegosaurus to Do Sums Diane Ewen & Rashmi Sirdeshpande A love letter to learning and the power of numbers from exciting talents, Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Diane Ewen. A laugh-out-loud ‘what if . . .?’ adventure that celebrates maths being fun in this riotous read. If a Stegosaurus knew how to do sums – well, what would happen? Maybe she’d learn to code, to invent, […] Animals, Art, Creating art/ Imagination, Dinosaurs, Picture Books, Space/ Rockets AGES: 3-7 Pug Hug Zehra Hicks A very cute pug really wants a hug, but no-one wants to hug him! Cat doesn’t like hugs, Hamster just wants to run in her wheel and Rabbit’s chomping carrots, unconvinced by Pug’s nice red bunny ear costume. What is a pug in need of a hug to do? Fortunately, Pug’s very huggable little girl […] Animals, Emotion/ Feelings, Family, Fiction, Funny, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Cheeky Monkey Zehra Hicks Monkey wants to play! But Monkey’s games are a little too energetic for the other animals. A funny, playful story about learning how to make friends, from the author of the hilarious Pug Hug! Cheeky Monkey is ready to play! But Zebra is happy painting quietly, Giraffe is about to tuck in to lunch, and […] Animals, Fiction, Love, Picture Books, Romantic AGES: 3-7 Dinosaur in Danger Paul Geraghty ‘The volcano burst into the sky and soon the mountain was leaping with flames…’ Talon, a young raptor, finds herself alone in a hostile world of giant carnivores and dangerous gangs. She must find food or soon she will starve, but to do so she must win over the enemy pack… Meticulously researched, this realistic […] Adventure, Animals, Fiction, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Rotten & Rascal Paul Geraghty Rotten and Rascal are quarrelling twin baby pterosaurs, who yell, shout, screech, howl, scream and snarl at each other all day long. One day a terrible argument begins and one by one the other dinosaurs try to resolve their noisy dispute. But the two terrible pterosaur twins prove impossible to shut up. Until, that is, […] Family, Fiction, Funny, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Hoppameleon Paul Geraghty When the world is still quite young, there was a sleepy, slurpy swamp. And in it swam a very odd-looking creature . . . As he makes his way in the world, this very odd-looking creature, with a long sticky tongue, who can hunt like a chameleon and sing like a parrot, isn’t quite sure […] Emotion/ Feelings, Friendship, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Dinosaur That Pooped A Planet Dougie Poynter & Garry Parsons & Tom Fletcher In this laugh-out-loud rhyming picture book, Danny and Dinosaur are off on an adventure in space! But when Danny realises he’s forgotten Dino’s lunch box, the very hungry dinosaur eats everything in sight, including their only way back home: the rocket! How will Dino get them back down to earth? Find poop, planets and pandemonium […] Animals, Dinosaurs, Funny, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Llama Glamarama Garry Parsons & Simon James Green Larry loves to groove and mooooove … but will the others disapprove? Larry the llama’s big secret is that late at night, when no one is watching, he loves to DANCE. Then, one day, he stumbles upon the Llama Glamarama! Will this raucous celebration give Larry the pride he needs to bring his dance back […] Animals, Fiction, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Franklin and Luna go to the Moon Jen Campbell & Katie Harnett Luna and her best friend, Franklin the dragon, love stories and want to visit all the places they’ve read about in books. But for all their reading they still don’t know where dragons come from. And Franklin is now so old – 605 to be exact – he can’t remember himself! They search high and […] Family, Fantasy, Fantasy/ Supernatural, Mystery/murder, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales Jen Campbell & Katie Harnett It’s Franklin’s birthday! Luna and all the villagers are planning a surprise party, and Franklin’s family are visiting from the moon. While the party is being set up, Luna takes Franklin book shopping. They find a padlocked book of fairy tales, which the bookseller tells them is full of dangerous magic. Luna’s tortoise, Neil, can’t […] Fairy tales and folk tales, Family, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 My Daddies! Gareth Peters & Garry Parsons A funny, heartfelt picture-book celebrating same-sex parents and shared story time, perfect for introducing children to the different kinds of family in the world today. Set off on a series of incredible adventures with an adorable family as the stories they read burst into colourful life. Battle dragons, dodge deadly dinosaurs, zoom to the moon […] Family, Fiction, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Rabunzel Gareth P Jones & Loretta Schauer A uniquely silly and rebellious twist on a favourite fairy tale – with a fabulously foiled cover! “Rabunzel, Rabunzel, let down your ears!…” Rabunzel has a teeny tufty tail, a twitchy nose and two wide brown eyes. She also has VERY long ears – so long that her mother worries they will make her easy […] Fairy tales and folk tales, Fiction, Friendship, Funny, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Ugly Five Axel Scheffler & Julia Donaldson Who’s that singing on the savannah? It’s the top-five ugly animals in Africa! The wildebeest, warthog, vulture, hyena and marabou stork swagger proudly across the savannah, rejoicing in their ugliness – and delighting their babies, who think they’re perfect just the way they are. Inspired by the real-life Ugly Five safari animals, Julia […] Animals, Funny, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Tiddler Julia Donaldson The smallest fish can tell the tallest tales … “Sorry I’m late, Miss. I set off really early but on the way to school I was captured by a squid. I wriggled and I struggled till a turtle came and rescued me.” “Oh, no, he didn’t.” “OH, YES, HE DID.” Tiddler is a little fish […] Animals, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 I am a Sensible Gibbon Claudia Boldt & Will Mabbitt A very sensible story with ABSOLUTELY NO SILLINESS! From the author of I Can Only Draw Worms! Gibbon would like to make it very clear that this is a sensible book for sensible people. Anything that looks like it might be FUN or SILLY is absolutely forbidden. Animals, Funny, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Fleas Seeks Dog Nathan Reed & Will Mabbitt Flea’s got itchy feet! It’s time to find a new dog to call home. But, try as he might, none of the dogs he meets are quite right. From the too loud and too cheeky to the too-frequently-leaky, Flea soon realises that finding the perfect companion can be tricky. Will Flea ever find the perfect […] Animals, Nature/ Outdoors, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 This is NOT a Fairy Tale Fred Blunt & Will Mabbitt A sequel to the acclaimed This Is Not A Bedtime Story by rising stars Will Mabbitt and Fred Blunt. Sophie doesn’t want a fairy tale about drippy princesses and pompous princes, she wants the princess to do the rescuing, with a ferocious, fighting transformer! Together Sophie and her dad revolutionise story time for a second […] Animals, Fairy tales and folk tales, Fantasy/ Supernatural, Myths and Legends, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 I Can Only Draw Worms Will Mabbitt At the beginning of this apparently simple picture book, the writer/illustrator confesses that he can only draw worms. And worms is what we get – helpfully differentiated by one having glasses, one being yellow for no particular reason, and one being tragically cut in half as the result of an experiment gone wrong. Some of […] Animals, Funny, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Remarkable Pigeon Dorien Brouwers When a pigeon visits the aviary, he feels very inferior to all of the other species of birds he encounters, with their colourful plumage and magnificent wingspans. But eventually the pigeon realises that he has something the other birds don’t – his freedom! The Remarkable Pigeon is a thought-provoking and stunningly-illustrated picture book that will […] Animals, Friendship, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Personal/social issues, Picture Books, School/ Learning AGES: 3-7 What Did the Tree See? Charlotte Guillain & Sam Usher Told in gentle rhyming verse, this beautiful non-fiction picture book follows the story of an oak tree on a hilltop as it witnesses life changing around it over the course of hundreds of years. From the time when hunters chased deer through the woodland, to when trees were cleared for farmland, to the smog and […] Historical, Nature/ Outdoors, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 The Lumberjack’s Beard Duncan Beedie Every day, Jim Hickory the lumberjack heads into the forest with his trusty axe and chops down trees. Unfortunately, all sorts of creatures lose their homes in the process, so Jim gives them a home in his beard – until one day it all just gets too much. Time for Jim to come up with […] Animals, Family, Nature/ Outdoors, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Longest Strongest Thread Inbal Leitner ‘We are moving to a new home, where the lakes freeze in winter. I am visiting my Grandma to say goodbye.’ The little girl in this story loves visiting her Grandma’s sewing studio and watching her make things, and is worried about leaving Grandma behind and not being able to see her. Grandma re-assures her […] Family, Friendship, Historical, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Last Chip Duncan Beedie Percy is a little pigeon, and he’s very hungry. Life on the streets is tough, and every time he tries to get hold of a scrap of food, bigger, beefier birds bat him away. He’s about to give up when someone offers him her very last chip. A moving and uplifting story about struggle against […] Animals, Personal/social issues, Picture Books, School/ Learning AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 Saving Stella Bassel Abou Fakher & Deborah Blumenthal & Nadine Kaadan For fans of Two Bobbies comes a moving, true story about a young man and his dog who escape the violence of the Syrian War. Some bonds are stronger than war . . . Life for musician Bassel and his dog Stella in Damascus, Syria, has changed since the civil war began. Instead of enjoying […] Adventure, Animals, Emotion/ Feelings, Family, Migration/ Refugees, Non-fiction, Picture Books, War AGES: 3-7 One Potato, Two Potatoes Adam Guillain A laugh-out-loud, sing-along counting romp, based on the traditional rhyme, perfect for fans of Supertato! One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four… playing hide and seek – hang on! Who’s inside the drawer?! Four more energetic, excitable potatoes, that’s who! And the potato pals are about to receive an exciting invitation: to take part in […] Food, Funny, Learning, Picture Books, School/ Learning AGES: 3-7 Along Came a Different Tom McLaughlin Reds love being red. Yellows love being yellow. And Blues love being blue. The problem is that they just don’t like each other. But one day, along comes a different colour who likes Reds, Yellows and Blues, and suddenly everything starts to change. Maybe being different doesn’t mean you can’t be friends … A very […] Fiction, Friendship, Picture Books, Prejudice, Racism AGES: 3-7 A Little Bit of Courage Claire Alexander In this follow-up to the beloved picture book A Little Bit Different, the Ploofers are back for a heartwarming exploration of fear and finding courage. The Ploofers have just learnt a valuable lesson in celebrating differences and trying new things. They’ve been practising something very special again and this time it requires extra teamwork… But […] Communication, Emotion/ Feelings, Friendship, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Little Crayon Amelia Kai & Jamie Beard Little Crayon is neither Blue like its mummy, nor is it yellow like its daddy. One day, it’s asked to make an impossible choice that leaves the poor crayon confused and in doubt of its identity. The Little Crayon is a touching story about family, friendship and self-love, brought to life by vibrant colours and […] Family, Friendship, Identity, Multicultural/international, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Clean Up! Dapo Adeola & Nathan Bryon Rocket is SO EXCITED because her, her mum and her brother Jamal are going to visit her Grammy and Grampy in the Caribbean. Even more excitingly, Rocket’s grandparents run whale watching tours and have an animal sanctuary at the back of their house. It’s brilliant finally seeing Grammy and Grampy – Grammy is a pretty […] Animals, Environment/Climate Change, Family, Nature/ Outdoors, Picture Books, Science Fiction, Water AGES: 3-7 Oof Makes an Ouch Duncan Beedie Oof and Pib come from an ancient tribe. They know hardly any words – in fact they only know how to say their own names – but it doesn’t stop them from being the best of friends and doing everything together . . . Until Oof starts inventing all sorts of NEW words, and Pib […] Animals, Friendship, Funny, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Virus? Maya Oakley What is a virus? What happens inside your body when you get sick? Why can’t we see our friends and family right now? During this global pandemic this little book is a tool to help children and parents talk about tricky subjects and understand what our wonderful immune systems are doing to protect us and […] Communication, Emotion/ Feelings, Family, Fear, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Illness / Hospitals, Learning, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Non-fiction, Personal/social issues, Picture Books, Survival AGES: All-Ages Luna Loves Art Fiona Lumbers & Joseph Coelho At the gallery, Luna is transfixed by the famous art, but her classmate Finn doesn’t seem to want to be there at all. Finn's family doesn't look like the one in Henry Moore's 'Family Group' sculpture, but then neither does Luna's. Maybe all Finn needs is a friend. Creating art/ Imagination, Emotion/ Feelings, Empathy, Family, Friendship, Marriage/ Divorce, Picture Books, School/ Learning AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 Katie meets the Impressionists James Mayhew Five Impressionist paintings come to life when Katie jumps through the frame and into the picture! It’s Grandma’s birthday – wouldn’t it be lovely if Katie could give her some flowers like those in the painting by Mr Monet …or Mr Renoir …or Mr Degas! Learn all about three Impressionist painters with Katie as she […] Adventure, Creating art/ Imagination, Family, Fiction, Historical, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Moonshadow Gillian Lobel & Karin Littlewood For the very first time, young Moonshadow is flying south. Grandfather is leading the swans as they travel to a warm place for the winter. But when a terrible storm strikes, not all the swans make it through. Though his heart is heavy, Moonshadow finds the strength to continue the journey. Gillian Lobel’s beautifully written […] Animals, Emotion/ Feelings, Grief/Loss, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 The Most Important Gift of All David Conway & Karin Littlewood Ama has a new baby brother! And when she asks Grandma Sisi what gift she can give him, Grandma tells her to simply give him the gift of love. But where can Ama find this precious gift? Ama sets off to find out, but in the end, the gift of love comes to her instead. […] Family, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Love, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 The Day the Rains Fell Anne Faundez & Karin Littlewood Long ago, when the world was new, Lindiwe gazed down from the heavens, proud of the earth and the creatures she’d created. She and her daughter Thandi swooped down to check their work, only to discover something was wrong. Everything was wilting and dusty and the animals looked sad; the earth needed rain. When the […] Animals, Family, Multicultural/international, Myths and Legends, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 Are You The Pirate Captain? Gareth P Jones Illustrated by Garry Parsons. First mate Hugh has got the whole crew and the pirate ship ready, but they can’t set sail until they find a captain! Come on this salty adventure as Hugh and his scurvy seadogs try to find the perfect pirate for the job. Rather than a peg leg or a […] Adventure, Crime/ Thriller, Picture Books, Pirates, Travel, Water AGES: 3-7 The Elephant’s Garden Jane Ray A humorous fantasy story of greed set in a small Indian village, stunningly illustrated and retold by award-winning artist Jane Ray. Jasmine’s garden has the most delicious fruit in the village–but someone is eating all her beautiful apples and apricots, kiwis and kumquats, papayas and peaches. Determined to discover the thief’s identity, Jasmine waits . […] Adventure, Animals, Fairy tales and folk tales, Food, Magic, Nature/ Outdoors, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Unicorn Prince Jane Ray & Saviour Pirotta If you love The Frog Prince and The Elves and the Shoemaker, you’ll love this tale of love, magic … and unicorns! Annis and her grandmother live in a cold, draughty castle on top of a hill, which they share with their chickens and their cow. They may be poor, but Annis’s heart is […] Animals, Fantasy/ Supernatural, Love, Magic, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Tempest Jane Ray A captivating picture book retelling by Shakespeare’s Globe for very young readers. William Shakespeare’s dazzling play about magic, revenge and forgiveness is unforgettably re-imagined by Shakespeare’s Globe as a picture book for very young readers. The story is told from the perspective of Ariel in language that is true to the original play but […] Emotion/ Feelings, Empathy, Magic, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Winston Wallaby Can’t Stop Bouncing Kay Al-Ghani Winston Wallaby, like most Wallabies, loves to bounce. However, Winston can’t seem to ever sit still and when he starts school he needs help to concentrate… Luckily his teacher Mrs Calm shows Winston how to settle down and focus his mind in class, and he learns new ways to help him with touch, feel, […] Personal/social issues, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 The Red Beast: Controlling Anger in Children with Asperger’s Syndrome Kay Al-Ghani Deep inside everyone, a red beast lies sleeping. When it is asleep, the red beast is quite small, but when it wakes up, it begins to grow and grow. This is the story of a red beast that was awakened. Rufus is in the school playground when his friend John kicks a […] Family, Friendship, Personal/social issues, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Panicosaurus: Managing Anxiety in Children Including Those with Asperger Syndrome Kay Al-Ghani Have you ever felt a sense of dread and worry creeping over you? That might be the Panicosaurus coming out to play… Sometimes the Panicosaurus tricks Mabel’s brain into panicking about certain challenges, such as walking past a big dog on the street or when her favourite teacher is not at school. With […] Emotion/ Feelings, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Personal/social issues, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Baby Blue Has the Blues Kay Al-Ghani This colorfully illustrated book tells the story of a baby Blue Whale, who longs to be included among the other creatures of the ocean, but is shunned because he is ‘different.’ The fish make fun of his size and won’t let him join in their games. However, when danger lurks in the form of a […] Animals, Bullying, Emotion/ Feelings, Empathy, Friendship, Picture Books, Water AGES: 3-7
